Martha Jefferson Randolph to Ann C. Morris

MonticelloJan. 22. 1826

I have not written for a long time My dear Sister because in truth I had nothing but painful subjects to communicate.1 the unfortunate event of the sale I have long anticipated not altogether however
to the extent it has gone. the property has fallen very far short of the payment of
the debts. it is generally
said, by the very injudicious division of the land. that R had made Jefferson a deed for a certain number of acres when he came of age but had not run the lines,
leaving that to his own convenience at the time he should lay it off; and in the final
division of the
tract in lots which he thought would be more saleable than the whole he run Jefferson’s lines along the back of the plantation giving him a narrow slip about 2 miles long. this unfortunately took off so much of the wood lands from the other
divisions that some of them I understand had not wood to enclose them, or for fuel.
besides running down also
in long narrow slips from the mountain to the road. every one predicted what happened
that the land could not be sold at any thing like it’s value at thoseunder those circumstances. it was cried 4 hours at 16, $ for a part only people got tired of waiting and were going off when Jefferson offered 17, for the whole it was knocked off to him at that. the negroes were most of them old
and no young ones [. . .]amongst them and sold for little or nothing. Old ScyllaPriscilla and Betsy with her children, Critty’s3 little orphan girls and an Orphan child of Molly Warren’s making in all 3 women old and infirm and 8 little children all under Septimia’s age, all girls but one were settled upon me in fee simple, in consideration of My
relinquishment of dower in 2 great estates. under existing circumstances the word dower would never have been
mentioned by Me, but My dear Jefferson who is the support of his family, had intended bidding for them for me to spare me
the sorrow of seeing these my house servants and their children sold out of the family I remembered that a 9th of the property had been settled upon Lucy in the same circumstances, and proposed this arrangement not from interested motives
heaven knows for in point of value the consideration is nothing but to save Jefferson the first chargethem without putting Jefferson to the expense of the purchase. they are in Justice though not in law his for 5000
$ of the deficiency of the property falls upon him—T. E. R
—recovers his 8000, $ which will save him for the present. I do not know enough of his affairs to know any thing farther. but had the sale
of Edgehill been postponed, the house from over his head would have gone and I believe every
thing else besides. thank God so far they are safe. Mr R— can never want a home whilst my dear father possesses one, and although he is most unjustly too indignant against Jefferson to accept any thing from him, yet he will make arrangements with a common friend
to assist him with what ever he may require and to look to himJefferson for the reimbursement. he means to Join a man of the name of Warren (the son of your mother’s old housekeeper) who has a press, in a newspaper and magazine
in hopes of beeing able to do something to retrieve his fortunes. but I am afraid
of his health’s
failing from excessive anxiety of mind. the idea of having a burthen of debt to
consume his earnings is a dreadful one, and we have no bankrupt law in this state
to protect a man in his first
efforts
to retrieve his losses. My dear father wrote most kindly and pressingly to him to live with us altogether, for of late years
he has spent most of his time at his plantations, but his independence of spirit will
not permit him to
stay where he could be doing nothing for himself or his family, his spirits are
gone and he is completely overwhelmed. I think however if he sees any prospect of
success in his new career that he
will be happier than he has been for years past apprehending and forseeing as he often did his approaching ruin—Ddid you hear of poor Ellen’s misfortune? the ship in which all her books, papers, a part of her cloaths and all the little keep sakes of her whole life, with some handsome recent presents
from her friends was lost at sea and every thing went to the bottom except the crew,
who were saved by
being taken up by another ship from their boats to which they had trusted for
safety; and from which they witnessed the foundering of the ship. In a land of strangers,
though kind as heaven to
her,
she had looked with more than usual [. . .]affection to these only mementi of “dear home” and was dreadfully affected at the loss. knowing
how she would value them, I had packed up some of the beautiful specimens of china
that you My dear Sister have so kindly sent me from time to time also one of your Elegant curtains and a beautiful piece of plate that her poor father had giv[en her] with numberless other little treasures they were so [. . .] affect[. . .] heart. all, all were lost she has nothing with her that
[. . .] own[ed bef]ore her marriage but a few trinkets. she was very much distressed at the loss not
on account of their value, but from their associations with the idea of a loved home
and the friends of
her childhood—she expects to be confined sometime this spring and is [. . .]extremely anxious that Cornelia should be with her. but although her father had made an arrangement for the purpose yet I do not know whether we can accomplish
it. My life of late years has been such a tissue of privations and disappointments
that it is impossible
for me to believe that any of my wishes will be gratified, or if they are, not
to fear some hidden mischief flowing even from their success. adieu dear sister. I hear with infinite satisfaction of the success of the
dearest wishes of your heart, in the daily improvement of Gouverneur. present me affectionately to him and I promise not to croak so much again. heaven knows it is not natural to me but I have suffered enough in
silence to make amends for an occasinal moment of forgetfulness. Dear Ann has just had a son who as well as her self are doing well adieu if I had time to write another I would
not send this disgracefull scrawl but any thing is better that [. . .]than such a longer silence